Event-centrality and the pragmatics–semantics interface in Kikongo: From predication focus to progressive aspect and vice versa

• Jasper De Kind ^[1] ; Sebastian Dom ^[1] ; Gilles-Maurice de Schryver ^[2] ; Koen Bostoen ^[3]
  1. [1] Ghent University

     Ghent University

     Arrondissement Gent, Bélgica

     
  2. [2] University of Pretoria

     University of Pretoria

     City of Tshwane, Sudáfrica

     
  3. [3] Université Libre de Bruxelles

     Université Libre de Bruxelles

     Arrondissement Brussel-Hoofdstad, Bélgica

     

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• Localización: Folia lingüística histórica, ISSN 0168-647X, Vol. 36, Nº 1, 2015, págs. 113-163
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
• Resumen

  • Across Bantu, several polysemic markers expressing progressive aspect and so-called predication focus have been reported (Güldemann 2003; Hyman and Watters 1984). In this article, we examine two such markers in Kikongo (Bantu, H16), i.e. the fronted-infinitive and the locative-infinitive constructions. We provide an in-depth synchronic description of the pragmatic and syntactic behaviour of both verbal constructions and suggest a historical evolution for each of them. We evoke the term ‘event-centrality’ to cover the different uses of both constructions and suggest that the fronted-infinitive construction’s progressive meaning evolved from its use as predication focus marker, and vice versa, that the locative-infinitive construction’s predication focus meaning evolved from its use as a progressive marker.